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The amusement park Attractiepark Toverland, located in Sevenum in the Southeast of the Netherlands, recently formalized its development plans for 2013 and 2014. The investment announced is €20 million (about $26m) and consists in an ambitious expansion plan of 8 hectares (19.7 acres) which is scheduled to open in two phases.
The bulk of the investment (€13 million) will be used for the creation of a new outdoor themed area of 4 hectares called Magische Vallei (Magic Valley). Scheduled to open in next April, visitors will find there eight rides and attractions, a snack bar and a shop, all with a theme setting described as "natural" with many trees, lakes, waterfalls and bridges.
The main addition of this expansion will be a Spinning Coaster manufactured by Mack Rides whose layout is identical to the one which has opened in 2011 at Le PAL, France (TWIST). The track will be long of 462 meters (about 1515.8 ft) with a maximum height of 21 meters (about 68.9 ft), a maximum speed of 75 kph (46.6 mph) and a duration of approximately 92 seconds. The ride will be equipped with two trains consisting of four cars of 4 people sitting by two back to back, for an hourly capacity of approximately 925 people. Its cost is announced at €4 million (about $5m) and the opening date already planned for October 2012.
The second major addition will be a River Rapids designed by German manufacturer Hafema which has realized River Quest in Phantasialand and El Rio in Bobbejaanland among many other projects. The custom designed 460 meters long water ride (about 1509 ft) will combine swirls, waves and water walls with 10 boats of 9 seats for a hourly capacity of about 918 persons.
Magische Vallei will also offer two family rides - a water carousel (450 persons per hour / 8 gondolas of 2 persons) and a 10-meters/32.9 ft height drop tower (320 persons per hour, 4 gondolas of 2 seats) - along with four play activities : a climbing wall, a playground for water balloon fights, air-trampolines and an adventure course over the water.
The second part of the expansion (a 7 million investment) will open in 2014 and Toverland has not yet revealed details over it.
If the environmental permit is granted by the municipality, an archeological study is currently underway on the site of the play activities as the park is situated in a region where several discoveries have been made in the past. Once these will be completed, Toverland will announce whether the play activities will open in April 2013 or later. On the other hand, the site for the Spinning Coaster and River Rapids is clear and the construction will begin shortly. Some parts of the track have already been delivered.
Inaugurated in 2001, Attractiepark Toverland has quickly achieved success thanks to its unique concept: a covered hall protecting the rides from the weather and allowing the park to open the whole year. With nearly 4.5 million visitors since then, it has already tripled in size with the opening of a second hall in 2004 and an outdoor area where there are two roller coasters including the longest, highest and fastest wooden coaster in the Benelux.
According to Pieter Cornelis, chief strategy and development of Toverland, the objectives of the investments are to increase the length of visit and to exceed the 500,000 visitors per year while offering more outdoor rides to be more attractive when the weather is pleasant. The owner of the park, Gelissen Group, also plan to double the size, the turnover and the annual attendance by 2020. Other projects already unveiled include the opening of a 4-star hotel in 2015.
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The NewsParcs' Theme Park Supplier's News of the Week is a round-up of the latest news relative to companies supplying the theme park industry around the world. This weekly report covers topics such as corporate announcements, ...
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